And it turns out that, although truly miserable, swine flu ain’t so bad. It’s about as bad as… the flu.

I’ve had the flu. It sucks, but I’ve made it through just fine.

So why the heck have I been so worked up and freaked out about H1N1?? Why did I wear a surgical mask with my fabulous Katy Rodriguez dress to the Emmys? Why did I believe there was a possibility I might turn into a pig and die? WHY???

The World Health Organization’s fearless leader, Margaret Chan (who, incidentally, I’m totally fascinated by) just announced that it has raised the alert level of swine flu to Phase 6–making it the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century.

Now before y’all get your antibacterial panties in a bunch, let’s talk about what this alert means. Phase 6 refers to the geographic spread of the flu, not the severity of the ailment. So although it may be reaching out across territories, you’re overall more likely to get killed by a car accident or the regular flu (Hmm. It’s never comforting for someone to say “you’re more likely to get killed…” is it?).

Chan says, “We have good reason to believe that this pandemic will be of moderate severity, and we know from experience that severity can vary on many factors from one country to another.”